EDDIE Hearn surprisingly apologised for his reaction to Katie Taylor’s hand being raised – with Claressa Shields among those left wondering why he did so.
The Matchroom chief gave it socks to the booing crowd as Taylor earned a unanimous 95-94 victory in her rematch with Amanda Serrano.
The 38-year-old has now earned two razor-thin decision wins over her great foe[/caption]
Shields is the only other woman you could argue has a more stacked professional record than Taylor[/caption]
In an interview with IFL TV the usually brash Hearn conceded he may have overstepped the mark with the extent of his celebrations.
He said: “I wanted to win really f**king bad. And there was a lot of stuff said during the fight that I didn’t like, and I don’t mind saying that.
“I’ve had my chat with Nakisia Bidarian (Serrano’s manager) in the ring after and stuff like that.
“And I think he acknowledges that as well. But it’s the passion of the moment.
“I probably went a little over the top with my reaction if I’m honest. And if I offended anyone, I apologise.”
The 45-year-old then joked with the interviewer that some people may now deem him to be ‘a k**b’ as a result – before conceding plenty of boxing fans already hold that view!
Shields, 29, felt it was a needless apology in any case given how amped up every member of Team Taylor and Team Serrano was always going to be heading into their long-awaited rematch.
She tweeted: “Why is Eddie Hearn apologising for celebrating his fighter that he promotes winning???
“Serrano team would’ve went crazy too!”
It would appear a round three between The Bray Bomber and the Puerto Rican is on the cards despite Taylor being 2-0 in the rivalry.
The setting for their next match-up is less clear, however.
In a chat with Off the Ball Hearn made it clear that her heart is still set on a night in Croke Park before she hangs up her gloves.
But the financial practicalities could scupper that prospect once again like it did over the spring.
“How much have we talked about it over the years and, like if there was ever a time…I’ve actually said this before, to be fair.
“But we’re in November now, that gives you enough preparation for a summer event at Croke Park.”
Hearn hinted that Taylor may not fight again, and said that it would take “something pretty special and unique” for her to do so.
He added: “We’ve just seen the biggest female fight of all time in front of the biggest audience of all time.
“It’s like, surely…and I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think it’s 100% guaranteed that Katie Taylor will fight again.
“I’m sure she will, but it’s going to take something pretty special and unique.
“We had a long call with her last night with (her manager) Brian Peters and she was full of (enthusiasm).
“In the training room after (the fight), it kind of felt like if she was to turn around now and say, ‘that’s it for me’.
“I’d actually be extremely happy in a way that you could bow out on a night like that.
“But then she said, ‘there’s a few things, though, that I’d really like to do’.
“I said, ‘what’s that’, and she said, ‘Obviously I’d like to fight at Croke Park and I’d like to fight in Las Vegas.’”
Hearn said bouts against either at Croke Park or The Sphere in Las Vegas would tempt Taylor more than another trip to the 3Arena or Madison Square Garden.
He continued: “I know there’s been a lot of interest from the Madison Square Garden guys because of the first Serrano fight to do something possibly in the Sphere in Las Vegas, which would be so iconic for her career – and Croke Park.
“But I just think if it’s Chantelle (Cameron) back at the 3Arena or it’s Amanda Serrano back at MSG, I’m not sure that’s necessarily going to really excite her in the same way that doing something different would.”
